Check the status of the searched baggage. Luggage search. Appearance of luggage

Any vacation or trip can be overshadowed if suddenly, upon arrival at your destination, you suddenly do not find your suitcase on the baggage claim belt. As a rule, there are things, gifts, souvenirs, clothes. And it is extremely unpleasant to be left without all this!

I decided to write an article on what to do if the airline has lost your luggage. Having studied the legal sphere of this issue, as well as the experience of many travelers, my own experience and the advice of airline employees, I managed to create a whole instruction in which I will describe the actions. In addition, the material will be regularly updated and replenished (like all my articles on this blog), and as a visual aid, you will have access to a “cheat sheet” in the form of infographics, which you just need to download to your tablet or computer, and in case of loss of things, you can easily get step-by-step nuances of behavior.

So. Let's imagine that when you arrived at your destination or at the airport where the transfer is scheduled. Passed through passport control, go to the baggage claim. A signal sounds, the belt starts to move and carries bag after bag ... 5 minutes, 10 minutes pass ... But your luggage is still missing. What to do?

1. Stay calm. You are not the first, you are not the last.

Luggage is lost regularly. This is especially a common problem on connecting flights, especially if the flight consists of many "shoulders" (for example, Moscow - Ankara - Istanbul - Bangkok). So relax and don't panic. Remember - the law is on your side only as long as you yourself behave within the law. Yes, it is difficult to contain emotions. But you shouldn’t behave the way the “heroes” of many YouTube videos do (squeal, hysteria, scream, rush at the staff). Your task is to return the baggage.

Calmness and confidence will add to your solidity and allow you to quickly move on to a constructive dialogue, standing out from the crowd of other unfortunate people who were also left without luggage. Very often, luggage is lost immediately for many people from a flight.

2. Contact the Lost & Found counter

After making sure that your luggage is really missing on the tape, without wasting time, you need to go to the Lost & Found counter. As a rule, it is in the field of view, without departing far from the place of baggage claim. If for some reason you cannot find a baggage tracing service, ask the airport staff for directions. If this does not help, feel free to go to the representative office of the airline (which lost your luggage) at this airport.

You must report the loss or damage to your baggage as soon as possible, but no later than 7 days from the date of receipt or arrival of the flight at the final destination.

Lost luggage by airlines is a very common occurrence.

Here you are required to make a claim for the fact of missing luggage in writing. This is done in free form, although some companies will ask you to use a specific format or even provide a blank where it will be enough to fill in the fields.

Your task is to describe the lost piece of luggage as accurately as possible so that it is easy to identify them. Specify:

• The flight that was flown
• Number of pieces of missing baggage
• Appearance (color, model, signs) of a bag or suitcase
• Be sure to indicate if the luggage would have been wrapped in cellophane or had an additional tag on it

Yes, before I forget. About tags. Luggage is often lost due to a loose luggage tag. Therefore, do not be lazy and make your own tag for the suitcase, on which indicate your IFO and contact information (phone, E-mail). This will allow you to quickly find you if the luggage is found without a tag.

Don't be lazy and make your own luggage contact tag. This can help you get things back much faster!

Also try to briefly describe the things that were inside. For example: there were a lot of clothes inside, incl. a large winter jacket and military boots size 46, an old Helios 44 lens and a book.

At the end of the application, indicate your first name, last name, passport series and number, and contact details. Please note that in addition to the phone and email, you should write the address where your things will be delivered if they are found. The address must be within the city where you are at the airport.

When applying, you will be asked to present your passport and a tear-off baggage tag (usually affixed to the boarding pass or passport cover). Please note that the original of this coupon must remain with you, it will be useful to you in case you have to go to court.

The act is drawn up in two copies. One of them remains at the counter and will be sent to the airline, and you receive the second. The date and time of its compilation must be affixed to the act, and in most cases - also a number for checking luggage through World Tracer.

3. Now you just have to wait

Ideally, of course. if your luggage is found. but you will have to call. But it's all on the conscience of the company. so it is better to monitor yourself. To do this, you need to call the baggage search department, the number of which will be indicated on the loss report.

Although now, almost any decent airline transmits its data on lost baggage to the international World Tracer system. If so, it will be enough to enter the act number (indicated on your copy) and last name, after which you can find out if your things were found.

4. If the baggage was not found, we demand compensation

According to the law, baggage search is carried out within 21 days, that is, 3 weeks. Most often, luggage is found much earlier - they just didn’t have time to reload it at a transfer or sent it on the wrong plane. But if, nevertheless, in 21 days the search did not give results, then the luggage is considered lost. And you should be compensated for it.

How much money will you be paid for lost luggage? Depends on the country in which the airline is registered.

It's all about that. that such issues are regulated by two acts: the Warsaw Convention of 1929 and a more modern version - the Montreal Convention of 1999. Already more than 100 countries of the world have switched to work according to the Montreal version (including Ukraine), but Belarus, Russia and a number of other states have not become a party to this agreement. Hence the payout difference.

If your airline is registered in a country that is a party to the Montreal Convention (including Ukraine, Turkey, all EU countries, Australia, USA, Canada, Georgia, UAE, Britain and hundreds of others), then compensation will be 1000 SDR per person, regardless of weight and pieces of baggage. As of November 5, 2014, this is $1,470.

If you made a flight with an airline of one of such countries as Russia, Belarus, Thailand, etc., then the compensation will be no more than 20 dollars for each kilogram of baggage.

Little cheat sheet. To download a large image, click on it with the left mouse button.

What to do if your luggage is lost? Step by step instructions - cheat sheet

Answers to frequently asked questions:

Is there compensation for lost hand luggage?

Yes, it is about 400 dollars.

How can you reduce the risk of lost luggage?

I adhere to some rules that, in theory, reduce the risk factor. I can recommend them to you too:

1. In total, I make an additional tag with contact information on the luggage
2. Since I personally wrap the luggage in film, it has a characteristic appearance, plus this reduces the risk that one of the movers wants to steal things from the bag
3. I always check in my baggage to the final destination and check that the exact airport I need is on the baggage tag
4. I avoid flights with transfers of the order of 1 - 2 hours, so that I would have time to reload all things

I don’t know if it was or not, but something helped me and so far, thank God, my luggage has not been lost even once.

Can luggage be insured?

Yes it is possible. But keep in mind that most of the insurance that airlines offer is a simple scam, as they cost 10-30 dollars per flight. When buying travel insurance, I just choose the one that will cover luggage as well. Thus, for the same $ 20, they give me full insurance for a year, and not a “stump”, which is simply created in order to cash in on you.

I was told that airline rules do not oblige them to pay compensation

Their rules have nothing to do with reality. They must follow international law and the laws of the country where the airline is registered.

If the company refuses to compensate for the loss of luggage or offers too little price - what to do?

You have the right to go to court.

You write about damage to luggage. That is, you can claim compensation for a broken suitcase?

Yes. And for a broken suitcase, and for a thing stolen from it. The main thing is evidence.

For example, if I buy a suitcase for flights, I do not throw away the check in order to indicate its value later. I wrap things in plastic to indicate immediately if the package has been opened.

If you found my article helpful or liked, please share it on social networks. It is very important for me. Thank you!

09.08.2018, 08:02

Nightmare: upon arrival at the airport, you are horrified to find that your luggage is not there. We assure you, there is no need to panic in this case. We wrote in detail about that, so we will not dwell on this moment. But we will tell you about the new online baggage tracking service. Fortunately, such a service has appeared, which has added convenience and peace of mind to passengers. International search system World Tracer

World Tracer is the world's only dedicated baggage tracking and tracing system developed by SITA IT company.

How the search engine works

If you have not received your baggage upon arrival at the airport, you will need to fill out a special Property Irregularity Report (PIR) form. Here you will need to specify:

• passenger data
• flight data
• describe the baggage in detail (appearance: color, shape, size, distinctive features, etc.).

Responsible airline employees enter this data into the World Tracer search system, and they enter a single database. At airports using this system (there are about 3 thousand of them), information about unclaimed baggage is compared. If the data of the lost and found luggage match, it is sent to the owner at the specified temporary address of his location or at the address of his permanent residence.

Where to apply to fill in the act of delay / loss of baggage

To fill out a lost baggage report you need to go to the Lost & Found counter. It is available at almost every airport and is located in the baggage claim hall or right next to the exit from it.

If this is a small, regional airport, then there may not be such a counter, in this case about contact an airline representative which you flew or to the airport authority.

Attention! This must be done before you leave the terminal or airport.

You can track your baggage on the airline's website. Find a special form there and enter into it:

1. Surname,
2. A ten-digit identification number in the format AABBXXXXX, where AAA is the airport code, BB is the airline code, and XXXXX is the 5-digit tracking number. For example: ATLXS12155.

After entering the data, the current location of your things and the estimated time of their arrival will be displayed.

The system tracks baggage for 100 days, after this period it can be considered irretrievably lost.

For reference

Baggage is considered lost if it is not delivered within 21 days after arrival. Until that time, he is considered detained. .

Tatyana Solomatina

How to return lost luggage: my experience with Aeroflot

Good day, friends! Lost your suitcase? It’s unpleasant, but you shouldn’t kill yourself, this is not the worst thing that can happen to you. In addition, according to statistics, 90% of lost bags are found in the first two days. But in order to be among the lucky ones, you need to inform the relevant services about what happened. There is a certain procedure, which is better to know in advance.

It is about how to return the lost baggage, we will talk today. Read the article, at the end I will tell you how Aeroflot returned my bag a year after the incident. I don't know whether to laugh or cry, but this is a real incident from my life.

When crossing long distances, people usually use an airplane. Considering that you need to get to overseas countries, then he has no equal in this matter. Currently, this is a very popular and convenient transport, but the ticket costs a lot. Passengers pay money and hope for a comfortable, conscientious flight. Unfortunately, sometimes when they arrive at their destination, they find out that the luggage has been lost by the air carrier.

What to do in such situations? How to return lost luggage? How can he even get lost? Let's look at these questions in more detail.

There are many reasons, from the banal human factor - the tag was badly glued, the connection at the third-party airport was not sorted out, the passengers themselves mixed up the suitcases, to technical failures in the electronic baggage transfer system.

Let's turn to the statistics, because of which baggage is lost:

• Non-connection on flights with transfers - 50%
• Problem with tags - 15%
• Do not pick up the owners - 15%
• Other reasons - 20%

Along with the old way of sorting luggage, innovations have been introduced in major air harbors, and a new system for moving luggage has been established. I suggest watching a short video showing the entire path of luggage, from the plane to the belt. This will allow you to better understand the principle of luggage delivery at major airports. I'm sure you haven't seen this before.

What to do in case of lost luggage?

Important! It is best not to postpone the search and address the issue immediately. You don't need to go to the arrivals area. Most often, the luggage search desk is located in the hall where the tape is spinning. Rarely, but it happens that the airport does not have this service, then you should directly contact the airline that made the flight.

We draw up documents

First of all, you need to notify the employees of the baggage tracing service about the lost luggage. He will need to present his passport, luggage tag, and boarding pass.

The service employee will provide a receipt form, which the passenger needs to fill out. There are a few more forms to fill out. Each airport has a different list of documents.

Standard documents - a statement from the passenger about the loss of baggage and an act (receipt) on his search.

In a statement, you should not write about your dissatisfaction with the carelessness of the airline employees. It's useless.

You need to provide information that will help you find your baggage - full name, date of flight, flight number, address of residence, length of stay in the country, address of residence in this country, contact details, for example, phone number.

Appearance of luggage

The application should describe the lost luggage itself - the shape, its color, any distinctive characteristics, the contents of the suitcase.

The employee will offer to identify the shape of the suitcase according to the table. Each baggage is marked with a digital code and entered into a spreadsheet.

Important! It happens that when packing, luggage loses its shape. This happens when the film that wraps the luggage compresses it, thereby giving it a different shape. This means that it is very easy to confuse with other luggage. Therefore, it is worth telling the service employee about this in order to make the appropriate amendments to the search system.

Baggage valuation, paradox

The procedure ends with baggage assessment. There are difficulties here.

According to the Air Code of the Russian Federation (Article 119), if baggage is accepted for air transportation with a declared value, then in case of loss, the declared amount must be returned to the passenger. But in practice, rarely does anyone evaluate a suitcase before handing it over, this is a paid service and it is not obligatory, there is no such clause in the contract between the airline and the passenger. Therefore, the carrier returns only the amount set by him - no more than 600 rubles per kilogram of cargo.

In principle, each airport compensates for the damage in a different way. It happens that the carrier sets monetary restrictions.

What happens next?

Based on your data, the employee will register the application in the World Tracer search system. This automatic luggage tracing system allows you to find your lost suitcase anywhere in the world.

After completing all the necessary documents, the specialist will issue a copy of the receipt with the case number and phone numbers by which the passenger can call and inquire about the results of the investigation.

Arriving at home or at the hotel, do not relax. It is advisable to call the service daily and be interested in the ongoing investigation. Each telephone conversation with the passenger will be talking to different employees. Get ready to tell the "baggage" story more than once.

In addition, you can independently track the path of searching for lost baggage using the World Tracer system, by means of an identification number. If the baggage is fixed in the system, there will definitely be information.

Baggage change

It is common for someone else's suitcase to be picked up by mistake in the baggage claim area. This situation is called baggage change. In the search system, it is registered differently. In this case, they will search for the owner of the abandoned luggage.

But there is one caveat. While the documents are being processed, a passenger who has taken someone else's luggage can already leave the airport. Therefore, if possible, it is worth insisting on a speakerphone notification. Then we can hope that the person who took not his luggage will hear this information.

Baggage badges are not checked at international terminals. Here the level of baggage exchange is quite high. Much easier on domestic flights. There, the tags are most often looked at and immediately reveal inattentive passengers.

It is worth remembering that the system is not perfect, and it can make mistakes. Don't trust her completely. You need to allow the human factor, and not be afraid to look ridiculous in this whole situation. At the airport, it is better to be vigilant, look around, approach people without hesitation and ask them to double-check whether they have taken their luggage. Timely steps taken will help to avoid unpleasant situations.

Transit flight

If the passenger is at the airport with transit, and boarding for the next flight has already been announced, you should immediately contact the airline and report the situation. Some carriers go towards the passenger and delay the flight while he draws up the documents.

If there is no time for this procedure, then you can report the incident in writing, while attaching the necessary documents for this. The terms for filing a claim are limited by the interests of the passenger. The carrier starts consideration of the application within a month.

Official dates

• Within 21 days from the moment the plane arrived, they are trying to find the lost luggage.
• It will be considered officially lost on the 22nd day.
• The deadline for filing a claim for lost luggage is 6 months. This is for domestic flights. With international, this period reaches 18 months.
• The airline considers the submitted application within 45 days. After the expiration of this period, they inform in writing of their decision. If the letter has not arrived, then the passenger has the right to file a lawsuit and resolve this issue in court.

What payments and compensations are possible?

• Airlines of the Russian Federation issue only 600 rubles per kilogram of cargo.
• During the search, major carriers can issue a non-refundable loan for essentials such as linen, toothbrush and toothpaste. This loan is about $50.
• Lawyers recommend keeping receipts for lost items. They can then be attached to the application, then the airline will reimburse the damage on these checks. But here's the amount of damage, they establish themselves. Perhaps it will be 50% of the amount on checks.

Luggage insurance

The easiest way to protect yourself from financial loss is to insure your luggage. But for this, again, you have to fork out.

Every insurance company offers this service. However, keep in mind that this measure will in no way save you from the problem of “staying naked” if your suitcase is lost on your way to vacation. Because you will receive the insurance payment only when you return home.

The easiest way to insure your luggage is with the company where you purchased the medical insurance. You need to add this service when buying a policy. However, this option is not always beneficial. It often happens that some insurance companies have the best offers for medical services, while others have better offers for other types of insurance. Here you need to carefully analyze the market and understand the issue. I wrote more about insurance.

Advice. Before buying insurance, find out how much it will cost to check in baggage with a declared value of compensation. This can be done for a fee. Perhaps this solution to the problem will be more beneficial for you.

How to avoid the situation with the loss of luggage?

• You must make your suitcase "unique". For example, attach a ribbon to its handle or stick bright tape over the package. This measure will allow not only to quickly find it on the tape, but also help other passengers not to confuse the baggage.
• Before checking in, be sure to clean your suitcase of stickers from old trips.
• It would be nice if you attach a tag with the contact details of the owner to your luggage.
• Make sure that the sticker at check-in stays on the luggage in a quality manner.
• During a transit flight, luggage is usually transferred without your participation to the next flight. However, it is still worth clarifying this issue when registering. But do not confuse a transit flight purchased with one ticket with a flight when you separately purchased tickets for each flight. In the second case, you will definitely have to receive and check in luggage at intermediate points on your own.
• Statistics say that every minute someone loses their luggage. Therefore, it is worth playing it safe. Just in case, take the most necessary and valuable things in your hand luggage.

My experience with Aeroflot

Like many frequent tourists, I did not escape the loss of luggage. It was in 2015, the carrier of the ball was Aeroflot airline.

We were returning home from Thailand, the flight was long and tired us a lot. Plus, I was unwell on the plane, I wanted to get home faster, go to bed and drink medicine.

Right before the flight, we swam in order not to put wet bathing suits, fins and masks in a suitcase, packed all this stuff in a separate bag. Here we did not count her at Sheremetyevo.

Realizing that the bag was lost, we went to the luggage search desk, where there were already about 50 of the same “lucky ones” from our flight. With the last of her strength, she filled out the paperwork and only after 30 minutes was able to get through to the counter.

Then it turned out that instead of the data of the international passport, I entered the data of the Russian document. I don’t know what got me hooked at that moment, otherwise I can’t explain my actions with poor health and wild fatigue.

Naturally, they gave me blank forms and told me to rewrite them. I did not stand in line again and refill the huge footcloth, it was beyond my strength, and the contents of the loss were not worth such torment. I gave back what I filled out, said that I no longer wanted anything from the airline, that I was ready to forget about the lost luggage. She turned around, went home and forgot about the incident.

About a week later, I got a call from an airline representative. I asked about the reasons for the refusal to search for lost luggage, the behavior of the employee with whom I spoke after the flight.

I said that I had no complaints against the carrier, that such a decision was due to my poor health and had nothing to do with them. I was offered to drive up to Sheremetyevo and re-register the papers. I refused, because Sheremetyevo is not a low beam, I didn’t want to drag myself there because of cheap Chinese fins and probably rotten (they were wet) swimsuits and swimming trunks.

An Aeroflot employee warned me that I had a year. He said that if during this time I find myself nearby, I can run in and arrange everything. On this, in fact, they parted, satisfied with each other.

11 months have passed, I have already managed to fly 4 times to other countries from Sheremetyevo, I never even remembered about the lost luggage.

Suddenly, a call. Aeroflot's lost luggage delivery service informs me that within a day, my bag will be delivered to my home (for a minute - Kratovo, 120 km from Sheremetyevo).

And they did deliver! And even if I didn’t need it anymore, naturally everything was moldy and moldy there, and I immediately threw it away, and even if only after 11 months they brought it - a fact on the face, delivered without any gestures on my part. My surprise knew no bounds. Only applause!

Conclusion

Of course, my case is not a panacea. And if my luggage was valuable, I would act differently. But in any case, there is no need to despair - you are not the first passenger to lose luggage, and you will not be the last. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Do not spoil your nerves and delve into the reasons, because everything has already happened. What is the difference now because of what?

I can only say that Aeroflot's baggage tracing and return system is well-established, as you can see, personally verified. I think other airlines are not far behind. Therefore, do not be discouraged, this is not the worst thing that can happen in life!

I repeat. According to statistics, 90% of lost luggage is found quickly. The main thing is not to delay with the registration of the loss, not to be too lazy and fill out an application.

You may be interested in the article, or.

On this I say goodbye to you. I wish everyone never get into such situations!

Tatyana Solomatina

Instruction

Make sure your luggage is really not on the belt. Perhaps not everything has appeared on the conveyor yet, or you simply did not notice your bag among others. If there is definitely no luggage, then immediately contact the search desk, which is right there in the arrivals hall. In Russia, it’s like this: “Lost & Found”, and abroad it usually says Lost & Found. Smaller airports may not have such a counter. Then look for a representative of your airline. If the flight is transit, then the last carrier is responsible for your baggage. As a last resort, you can contact the member of staff who is always in the arrivals hall.

To return your baggage, you must write a claim. You will need a passport, as well as a luggage tag - this is a tear-off sticker with the luggage number, it is glued to the ticket during check-in. Describe your suitcase in detail. What color, shape, size, what material is it made of, is it wrapped with a film for safety, are there wheels and handles, what is its weight. If there is a nominal one, be sure to write about it. Please provide your address and contact details. The employee will tell you exactly what information you need to provide about yourself. This is necessary so that the airline knows to whom and where to return the baggage. The report on the loss of luggage is drawn up in two copies, one of which remains with you, the second is transferred to the representative of the airline.

The representative of the company will assure you that everything will be found within 24 hours. It usually does. On the loss report, which you have left, the number of the baggage tracing service or the telephone number of the carrier's representative must be recorded. If your luggage is not returned to you within 5 days, you can always call and find out how the search is progressing.

You can check the wanted status online if your carrier is connected to the World Tracer baggage tracing system. From Russian companies, for example, Transaero and S7, from airports - Domodedovo. When a loss report is filed, you are given4 a unique identification number that you can enter on the airline's website to see if your suitcase has already been found. The system checks each item of unclaimed baggage and the application from each passenger for a match on the specified criteria. First of all, the number on the luggage tag is considered. Then the characteristics from the description of the suitcase, information about the owner are checked.

When the baggage is found, it should be brought to the address you specified free of charge. True, it must be located within the city or in the nearest suburb. In this case, the courier will call you and let you know when the found suitcase will be delivered to you. If you live too far away (for example, in another city or abroad), then the suitcase will be waiting for you at the office of the company or at its representative office during the year.

If 5 days have passed since the submission of the application, and the luggage has not been found, contact the airline again. Make a list of the things that were in the suitcase. Luggage is found in more than 90% of cases. Many airlines claim to be 99%.

note

The airline will search for your baggage for 21 days. If during this period nothing is found, then it will be considered lost. According to the Air Code of Russia, you will be paid compensation in the amount of 600 rubles per 1 kg of baggage. If the exact weight is not known, then compensation is paid for 35 kg.

Helpful advice

Take care of your luggage in advance: a name tag or a sticker on your suitcase will help you find it much faster if it does get lost. It's also good if you remember the manufacturer.

Related article

According to statistics, 1% of all baggage is lost during flights. Fortunately, most are still there. Nevertheless, try to take measures to reduce the risk of losing it.

One of the most common problems for passengers is the loss of luggage at the airport. According to statistics, up to 25 million suitcases are lost every year. Luckily for travelers, non-return rates are low, at just 3.4%. Most of the lost suitcases and bags find their owners.

Nevertheless, you need to know the sequence of actions in such a situation. Search activities are the same in all cases. And as an example, you can take the search for luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport.

This procedure is regulated by the General Rules of Air Transportation. Most of the requirements are universal for all carriers operating on domestic and international lines.

Suitcases are issued after passport control in a specially designated room. Things must be received immediately upon their receipt for issue, and at the exit from the terminal you will have to present a tear-off ticket of the luggage tag.

The internal rules of airport terminals detail the issuance procedure. In Sheremetyevo, cargo can be received in the issuing hall, which is served on a conveyor belt, indicated by an indication on the information board.

If there is no load on the conveyor belt

Everyone should know what to do when a suitcase or bag is not found on the conveyor. The main thing here is not to panic. The loss of baggage by an airline is a serious problem, but it can be completely solved. First you need to make sure that things are gone:

• Wait for the end of the issuance. They may have been the last to be uploaded.
• Look at the transporters dispensing cargo from other planes. Rarely, but mistakes do happen.
• Check the oversized cargo tape.

If there are no doubts, and things are lost, you will have to contact the search service at the terminal. There is a possibility that they were mixed up upon receipt and are already waiting for the owners from the employees of this service.

Where to go

Usually this counter is called "Lost & Found" or "Luggage Search" in Russian. If necessary, any of the airport employees will show where it is. There may be a situation where such a stand is absent. Then the place to call could be:

• representative office of the air carrier whose crew performed the flight;
• representative office of the national air carrier of the country of arrival;
• if neither is available, contact the airport authority.

Before applying, check the availability of the documents required to complete the application:

• identification;
• ticket;
• detachable luggage tag.

Office staff should help the passenger at the time of the request, regardless of the time of day. The victim draws up the necessary documents in the form of a statement of loss in the name of the carrier, fills out a Investigation Act or Property Irregularity Report (in the abbreviation the name is written as PIR).

How to fill out an act

Claims must be filed as soon as the loss is discovered. Before filling out, you will need to present a tear-off coupon, which is usually attached to the ticket. The Act must indicate:

• flight number;
• series and number of the passport;
• color, weight and size characteristics of the suitcase;
• special signs (stickers, external defects, bright details, trademarks, name tags, etc.);
• contact details and the address to which you need to deliver the lost suitcase, bag or backpack.

An example of a completed act (click to enlarge):

The claim is drawn up in two copies. One of them remains with the applicant, and the second goes to the management of the airline, which must organize the search. If it was not possible to find the loss within five days, a detailed list of things that were inside the luggage is attached to the application.

Search algorithm

Regardless of the reasons for the loss, the search for baggage is the responsibility of the air carrier. If the flight was operated by Aeroflot, its employees will be engaged in the search. The search must begin immediately upon receipt of the written application.

The carrier sends requests:

• at the airports of departure and arrival for the presence of things;
• to airports where things could be sent by mistake;
• when they are detected, a request is sent for delivery to the destination.

The found loss is delivered to the address indicated by the owner in the act. Delivery does not require additional payment and is carried out at the expense of the airline. Upon receipt of things, you must present a passport, coupon and act, which must be kept until the end of the search.

How to track a search

Usually the loss is found quickly, but there is also a protracted search. In this case, the contact details of the airline employees will be required. Take care of this when filling out the PIR. Telephone numbers are listed at the service counter, which you must write down in advance. If you have internet access you can use the unified World Tracer database, through which the owner can track the search.

After receiving a statement of loss, all data is entered into the database. To access information in the request form, you must specify personal data and the code obtained when compiling the Search Act. On the website of Sheremetyevo Airport, you can see a list of airlines that are tracked in this database.

How to get compensation

Since the carrier is responsible for the cargo, the airline will compensate for the loss. Claims for damages can only be made after three weeks have elapsed. If during this period the search for the wanted baggage was not successful, it is considered lost.

Compensation must be paid on the basis of a written claim, which must be sent before the expiration of 6 months if the problems occurred on domestic flights, and up to 18 for international flights.

Attached to the application:

• air ticket;
• tear-off coupon;
• insurance documents, if the items were insured;
• checks confirming the value of the contents of the suitcase or bag.

The airline management is obliged to consider the claim within 30 days and pay the amount prescribed by law or refuse in writing.

Payout amount

The amount of compensation payments for losses on international flights is established by international agreements. If things were lost during an international or transit flight, when one landing was outside the country, 20 dollars or 19 euros are paid for one kilogram of cargo. On domestic flights, the amount is 600 rubles per kilogram.

If the exact weight is unknown, then the calculations are based on the average, which is 35 kg per person. In cases where the value of the property was declared by the passenger in advance, the payment is made in the declared amount. The amount will be higher if the items were insured.

In addition to the above compensation, you can apply for:

• Compensation for other damages. When a passenger had to miss a connecting flight or train departure, the company must refund the ticket price.
• Payments for moral damage. If there is no way to confirm health problems, their size will be small.
• If the carrier did not satisfy the claims on a voluntary basis, and the compensation had to be beaten out through the court, an additional payment of a fine in the amount of 50% of the amount paid to the passenger is possible.

Such payments, most likely, will have to be sought through the courts, therefore, after receiving the found things, you should not sign the documents with a statement of the absence of claims.

Other payments

In cases where baggage is lost and the passenger is deprived of essentials, some companies may offer reimbursement for the purchase of them. This is not the responsibility of the carrier, but most of them provide such assistance for reputational purposes. The amounts are usually small, paid after receipt of receipts confirming expenses. When buying clothes, half the cost is paid.

If these costs were not paid by the company, they can be included in the list of legal claims.

In addition to the loss of bags and suitcases, passengers have to deal with other troubles. Usually this:

• theft of things;
• property damage;
• jumbled suitcases.

In the first two cases, you will also have to contact the carrier to draw up a claim. On its basis, the issue of compensation is being considered. This may be full or partial cost, depending on the decision of the commission. In case of damage to the suitcase, repair compensation is possible.

The latter situation requires the prompt return of things to the office of the carrier company or to the airport.

How to avoid problems

Most often, things are lost on flights with connecting flights, when a carelessly attached tag came off. In this case, things can either fly away in an arbitrary direction, or stay in place. In order to prevent such situations, speed up the detection of the loss, and reduce material losses, it is necessary to:

• if possible, avoid routes with transfers;
• make sure that the tag is present and the strength of its fastening;
• remove previous tags left over from previous flights;
• do not carry particularly valuable items;
• insure the cargo;
• wrap the bag or suitcase with plastic, which will reduce the risk of damage and theft;
• when choosing a carrier, read the reliability ratings and take them into account when buying tickets.

Be sure to include your last name with initials, contact details, destination, and flight on the name tag. Let this partly duplicate the information from the coupon, but the process of detecting luggage if it is lost will be so much faster. If you had to face trouble - do not despair, more than 90% of losses are found within the first two days.

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